By Larry Keane, National Shooting Sports Foundation
Hunters, firearms owners and sportsmen in general across the United States should be truly heartened by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s choice of Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his vice presidential running mate.
All politics aside, the reason is clear. Paul Ryan is an avid hunter. He is also the former co-chairman of Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC), which is the largest and most bi-partisan caucus in Congress.
As a hunter, Rep. Ryan understands and appreciates the issues hunters and sportsmen care about, such as the current effort to ban the on-line and mail order sale of ammunition and President Obama’s support for banning modern sporting rifles (MSRs) that are used for target shooting and increasingly by hunters – just to name just two.
Among the highlights of his record in Congress, Rep Ryan:
- Voted YES to protect the right of hunters to use traditional ammunition
- Voted YES to prohibit suing manufacturers and retailers for the criminal misuse of firearms
- Helped sponsor legislation to change the Pittman Robertson excise tax payment schedule helping to financially strengthen our industry and create more jobs for the economy
- Voted YES to decrease background check waiting period from 3 days to 1 day for a firearm purchase at a gun show
- Was rated A by the NRA for overall voting record
- Supported national cross-state standard for concealed carry
- Opposed the gun registration & trigger lock law in Washington, DC
Many politicians pay lip service to “not wanting to infringe on the rights of hunters” often followed by a pronouncement or proposal that would do just that. With Paul Ryan, hunters and all law-abiding gun owners should be reassured that there is someone in Washington with demonstrated level-headedness on issues of great interest to them. When it comes to these recurring issues, there is no substitute for the knowledge and wisdom born of the personal experience and passion of a true hunter.